"No," Alice said with a shake of her head. "It wasn't a question of my abilities. Although, Miss Fraser likely still would have won. She's had several opportunities to perfect her brewing skills that have yet to open for me — the internship in particular." Not that Alice would have even dared to apply for such an internship. Her family needed her at home in the summers.

She closed the jar to the salve and wiped the remnants of it onto a nearby discarded handkerchief. "It was an oversight to not sign up." She added.